Have action plans ready for decoupling in 2005, farmers are advised
Every farm family must fundamentally examine their production systems as complete decoupling of EU payments from production approaches, says Teagasc Director, Jim Flanagan.
They should start now, in order to have action plans in place when the new policy is introduced next January.
Donal Carey, Director of Operations with Teagasc, said many full-time farmers will need to increase the scale of their business, in order to maintain income.
Other farmers will draw their EU payments and maintain or reduce production levels. One in three farmers already combine farming with an off-farm job, but still farmers account for a significant proportion of Irish agricultural output.
The Planning Post Fischler Programme would also guide farmers incapable of making a viable income from farming, towards a supplementary enterprise or an off-farm job.
“We are encouraging not just the main farm operator but also spouses, partners, and successors to attend the group discussion stage of the Planning Post Fischler programme,” said Donal Carey.
The programme was launched by Minister for Agriculture and Food Joe Walsh.
